JANUARY 2012

Printed copies of The Mustard Seed are available in the Narthex.  If you have access to email, send us your address and you will receive your copy on the web.  If you have no email and can’t get to the Church, you may have a friend or relative who can receive it or pick up a copy and pass it on to you.

Schedule of Services:

JANUARY 1:

The Holy Name of our Lord Jesus Christ

JANUARY 8:

The First Sunday after the Epiphany

The Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ

JANUARY 15:

The Second Sunday after the Epiphany

JANUARY 22:

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany

JANUARY 29:

The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Holy Eucharist, 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM

Sunday School & Child Care, 10:00 AM

Coffee Hour: Guild Hall, 11:15 AM

Morning Prayer will be conducted in the chancel on specific feast days, as indicated in the daily Calendar.

The following outside groups use Church facilities on a regular basis:

A.A., Thursdays at 7:00 PM – Swan Hall

         The St Luke’s Annual Meeting will take place on Sunday, January 29.  There will be a single combined Eucharist on that day, starting at 9:00 AM, one hour earlier than in the past.  The meeting will take place in Swan Hall and be accompanied by a continental breakfast.

         Four Vestry positions will open up in January. Coincidentally, we have four candidates; Steve Baker, Cliff Goff, Nadine Wilcox and Janet Clark (this will be her second term). Biographies were emailed December and will be included in the Annual Report which will be distributed at the meeting.

         After the Annual Meeting There will be a brief Vestry Meeting in the Chapel.  This will serve as the January meeting for the Vestry (there will be no additional Vestry meeting in January).  

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Clergy during the Search process:

            Beginning Jan 2012, Fr. John Crean has joined St. Luke’s as our Interim Rector. Fr. John will be with us until our new Rector has been “called”. As the results from the Parish Survey are still being reviewed and compiled, the final Parish Profile it at least 30 to 60 days to completion. Once the Profile is completed, the Rector Search process will continue.

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Search Process Update:

            Though there are some possible variations to this overall process, the MOST important element of this process is and always will be the Parish Profile. This is where the congregation can contribute individually and participate in the selection of our next Rector. We will be hoping for 100% participation.

            The Parish Survey has been completed and distributed to the membership, due to the herculean efforts of Kelly Lauer, with assistance from other members of the Profile Committee.  Many surveys have been returned and we hope to receive the rest shortly.  The information will be collated and an overall Parish Profile will be assembled, which will serve as a guide in preparing a search for a new rector.

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            A million thanks to the St. Luke’s Choir for the extraordinary music they provided during Advent and on Christmas Eve.  The sheer number of pieces sung is staggering when compared to churches where the music consists of three hymns and an anthem.  We don’t conduct exit polls after Christmas Eve services, but we suspect many people were there as a result of the choir’s distributing flyers to area hotels and other places where people from out of town might be looking for a church.  (I went to City of Hope, where they were particularly appreciative.) 

Larry Duplechan will be our guest soloist on January 1, and the choir will return on January 8.  We will then begin working intensely on Evensong music which we will sing at Grace Church, Glendora on Sunday, January 29 at 4:00.  Grace Church is celebrating its 100th anniversary.  That parish started as a mission from St. Luke’s, Monrovia; and as such, they have invited our choir and our congregation to join them for this special service.  More information will be forthcoming on the choir bulletin board and in announcements.

                                                                                    Kent B. Jones, Director of Music

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Participation is always welcome and encouraged

            All of our groups in the church rely on participation from our parishioners. In addition to our existing groups, we will be setting up more groups as we move through this transition. Please consider volunteering for one or more of these groups. You'll enrich your experience with St. Luke's, have fun and be providing much needed support to our parish family.

            Below is a list of our existing groups and who to contact for more details. 

v  Ushers - Steve Waltmeir

v  Pastoral Outreach - Jeannett Armstrong and Trish Gresham

v  Altar Guild - Jeannett Armstrong

v  Welcome Table/Coffee hour - Sarah Thomas

v  SLUGS (St. Luke's Unorthodox Gatherings) - Parish activities and events

o   Kelly Lauer, Sarah Thomas and Kathy Eisel

v  Lunch Bunch - Lyn Walsh

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The Lunch Bunch:

The Lunch Bunch will meet on Saturday, 14th January at 11:30 in Guild Hall.  Lyn Walsh will be presenting Part 2 of her fantastic trip to India, Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet.  She will be sharing some of her adventures in Nepal & Tibet, a fascinating, rugged, remote part of the world. So please bring a tasty dish to share with this caring group.  All are welcome. 

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Birthdays and Anniversaries:

            Birthdays:

                        Steve Waltmier:           January 8

                        Hector Zapata:                        January 8

                        Holly Pearson:                        January 10

            Anniversaries:

                        (None in January)

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Please check your bulletin insert for current prayers.

Deadline for next Mustard Seed: Tuesday, JANUARY 24. Please notify David Bowen at (626) 359-4219 or e-mail the information to him at dbowen1@verizon.net.

Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church

120 S. California Street (at Foothill Blvd)

Monrovia California 91016

(626) 357-7071 or 357-7072

Email: www.saintlukesmonrovia.org

Saint Luke’s is an inclusive church that welcomes everyone to be part of its community— a safe place for skeptics and doubters as well as convicted believers.  The communion meal of God’s presence among us is offered to anyone who comes with a sincere heart to receive it.